Misty Air
by dovers6
Summary: Charlie is something special. Something her parents, her grandparents, all her ancestors and her village has had to hide. Oh her eleventh birthday, a letter is delivered to her. One inviting her to a magical place called Hogwarts. On the train she meets four boys who later become her best friends. But will her secret tear her apart from her love?
1. Chapter 1

"Mom! Dad!" The child's shrieks of joy disrupted the calm morning air. "Mom! Dad! I manifested!" Charlie was scrabbling up the stairs as fast as her legs would take her. Her previously long brown hair, now white, swung around her, getting in her face as she desperately searched for her parents. She found her parents in the kitchen, her mom making lunch and her dad reading the paper. She stood in the doorway, panting. Her mom looked up.

"Your hair darling!" Her mom exclaimed. The ten year old sighed. "Didn't you hear me? I _manifested!_ " She said to her mom, exasperated. The dad finally looked up. He jumped up, scooped the girl up into his arms, and twirled her around. "The white hair? You must be a shader!" He exclaimed.

Draki were the descendants of dragons. They lived in groups, called prides, and tended to be rather territorial. Shader draki were one of the most important. They could create powerful mists, that put people to sleep, and could erase parts of their memory on top of other things. Charlie's father was a water draki. When they manifested and went underwater, they grew gills and could live down there forever if they wanted. Her mom was a verda draki. They knew all about herbs and medicines.

Charlie's mom was elated. "We haven't had a shader in the pride for years!" She said excitedly. "How about this Charlie, you go get cleaned up, and I'll bake you a cake. This is a cause for celebration." Her mom said. "Okay!" Charlie said, hugging her mom and running back down the stairs.

One year later and Charlie was walking through King's Cross with her mother and father. Her mother was also a witch, her father was just draki. Charlie's dad, who's first name was Mike. Her mother, Helen, was holding the eager girl's hand as they walked to the platform. They all strode confidently through the barrier and on to Platform 9 ¾. The girl was chatting animatedly to her parents, her father barely listening as he looked around in awe. Her parents helped her find an empty compartment, and put her trunk in the overhead net.

"So I suppose this is goodbye," her mother said, tearing up. Charlie was also tearing, her dad was slightly more stoic but still sad. They all hugged each other and gave their goodbyes, and her parents left. Charlie smoothed down her black dress, tucking it under her butt so as not to have any unfortunate occurrences, and sat down by the window. She watched people for a little while before the train started to move. She looked out the window for her parents but she couldn't find them. She sighed. Her owl, April, was sitting in the extra luggage compartment in the back of the train. For now, she was alone.

Well, alone until a boy with messy black hair and gray eyes to match Charlie's stuck his head through the doorway. "Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full or full of stuck up purebloods," He said. Charlie gestured to the seat across from her. "Go right ahead," She said. This happened a few times in fact, until there was a tired looking boy with brown hair next to her, another boy with messy black hair but green eyes, and a short fat kid who irritated her for no reason.

They began chatting for a while, mainly about Hogwarts, the houses, and Quidditch. "I want to be in Gryffindor," The boy whom she now knew as Sirius said. "My whole family was in Slytherin and I hate them."

"I want to be in Gryffindor too," James said, puffing out his chest. "I'm strong and brave," He bragged. Charlie rolled her eyes as Peter added, "I'm strong and brave too," He said in his squeaky little pre-pubescent voice. Remus said, "I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw, although Gryffindor doesn't seem too bad."

Charlie sighed. "I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, or smart enough to be in Ravenclaw. Not very cunning either, so that leaves Hufflepuff. Doesn't seem too bad though," She said. James snorted, "If I was in Hufflepuff I'd ask the hat to switch me," He joked. Charlie glared. "Well it's a good thing I didn't ask for your opinion," She huffed. The boys looked around awkwardly.

"Look, the candy cart is coming," Said Remus, trying to distract everyone. Charlie took out her sack of money, and decided to get a pack of Drooble's gum, and a pumpkin pasty. She also got a carton of pumpkin juice. Everyone bought their treats, the earlier jab seemingly forgotten.

Most of the train ride passed without incident, only when Charlie got up to go to the bathroom and change into her robes did Peter say, "You could just stay here and take them off," with a wink that she assumed was supposed to be sexy. She just scoffed and said, "Maybe when you lose some of that cinnamon roll fluff we can talk," and promptly left, leaving the other three boys in a fit of laughter.

When she came back, the boys had calmed down. The sun had set, and the announcement that it would be five minutes until they arrived had just come. Charlie shoved her dress into her trunk and sat back down, already not liking the skirt and knee-high socks. They boys had changed as well, not caring about the nudity portion. Charlie wouldn't have cared as well, if it were girls in her compartment. Although sometimes they did act like it.

The train seemed to be slowing down, and a train station came into view. They had been told to leave their luggage on the train, and it would be delivered to their rooms after the dinner and sorting. Finally the train came to a stop. The anxious first years shared a look and filed into the hallway. They exited the train, and heard, "FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY," and so they figured it might be in their best interest to follow the sound. It led them to a large man with a large beard and a large stomach. Pleasantly large though, like Santa. He directed all of them into a boat, and once everyone had been herded in, he climbed into a bigger boat. Suddenly the boats gave a jerk and they started forward.

"Watch your heads!" The large man yelled. "You'll be gettin' your first glimpse of Hogwarts in a moment. Try not to fall off as we don't know what mood the Giant Squid is in." Some people laughed nervously. They all ducked as a large bridge with a wall of ivy passed over them. The boats turned a corner and there was a collective gasp from all of the students. A large castle was now in front of them, most of the windows lit. The boats pulled up and set themselves gently on the beach and the first years climbed off. They looked around amazed, even James and Sirius who had tried to play it cool.

"Follow me now," The man said as they began to walk up the hill towards the castle. Eventually they got there, slightly panting, and they were lead into a large empty room. A strict looking witch met them there.

"Thank you Hagrid," She said. "My name is Professor McGonagall. Please wait here, the orting will begin momentarily." She waited for a brief minute or two, then if almost on cue, led them into a larger, much less empty room.

It had four long tables going down from the front of the room to the back, and a large table set on a raised platform in front. All the other school-children looked up expectantly. "Welcome to Hogwarts," another man with a large beard greeted them from the podium in front. He addressed the people sitting at the tables. "Now I know you're all tired and hungry, but as usual, we must proceed with the sorting." He looked at Professor McGonagall, who addressed the first years. "Let the Sorting Ceremony begin."


	2. Chapter 2

"Abbot, Chase!" Was the first to be called forward to be Sorted. He became a Ravenclaw. Charlie's last name was Reeley, so she would be towards the end. "Black, Sirius!" Was called rather quickly as he was towards the front of the alphabet. Charlie watched interestedly as he seemed to be talking to the hat. It took a minute, but soon the hat shouted "Gryffindor!" And Charlie clapped along with the table in her head. She hoped she would be in the same house as her new friends.

Remus was called up after a few more minutes. The line had shortened by some, so Charlie could catch bits and pieces of the conversation. She heard something about "Ravenclaw," and "Gryffindor." It decided on the latter because not a moment later it's decision burst forth from the seams.

She watched a bit longer, then began looking round the room, examining things. She heard "Pettigrew, Peter," And looked up. She prayed he was a Slytherin so she wouldn't have to deal with him. She thought she heard something about Slytherin, but it decided on Gryffindor. "Potter, James," was next, and she watched raptly as it quickly chose Gryffindor.

A few more people were called and sorted, when "Reeley, Charlotte!" Was called up. She frowned upon hearing her full name. It wasn't a horrible name, she thought. She just liked Charlie better.

She sat down on the stool and the professor placed the hat on her head. She could hear it in her mind. "Hello there Miss Reeley. I see you've got a secret or two. But those don't matter much. You're here to be sorted. Now let's have a look at your traits," It said. That's odd, she thought. She thought the hat would be less formal. It seemed to reach a decision quick enough and shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

She took the old hat off, stood up, and set it on the stool. She walked happily to the clapping table full of cheerful faces, and sat down in an empty seat, a little farther away from everyone else. It's not that she didn't like them. She's just a bit shy. A girl with blue eyes and brown hair, much like Charlie used to have, scooted towards her. She recognized her from the Sorting. She was one of the last to be Sorted.

"Hi!" The girl chirped. "I'm Anna Taylor." She held out her hand. Charlie grinned and took it. "Hi, I'm Charlotte Reeley, but I prefer Charlie." The other girl smiled. "I like your hair. Do you dye it? It looks really nice," Anna said. Charlie laughed. "It's natural if you can believe it,"

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted. "Now that we have all been Sorted, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore said. He raised his arms, and suddenly the empty plates in front of them were filled with food. Charlie grinned and grabbed some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits. Taylor grabbed some food as well and they both begin to eat.

They chatted in between mouthfuls of food and drink. Soon enough it seemed the feast was over. When it seemed everyone was done, the plates refilled themselves with dessert. The plates they used to put food on were clean, and Charlie groaned. Everything looked so good, but she didn't know if she could eat more. No matter how full though, she grabbed a piece of chocolate cake and some vanilla ice cream. She sighed in pathetic delight, the cake was still warm and melded perfectly with the cold ice cream.

While she was eating, Charlie glanced over to the Gryffindor table. She saw her other three friends and sighed again, more wistfully this time. She liked her new house, but she wished she could be with them too. She liked Anna, but they had just met a few minutes ago and as pathetic as it sounds, she knew them for hours.

After dessert, Dumbledore made one final announcement. "Everyone, please follow your house prefects. They will escort you to the dormitories and provide you with the password." Charlie did as instructed, and they were led down a series of hallways and stairs. They passed a portrait of a bowl of fruit, and not farther down stopped at a pile of barrels.

"Alright first years watch closely," One of the prefects said. "Tap the barrel second to the bottom, middle of the second row in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff' and the passageway will open. Do it incorrectly or tap the wrong barrel and you will be doused in vinegar. You have been warned," He finished eerily. He tapped the barrel in a specific rhythm and Charlie tried to memorize it as best as she could. He crawled into the barrel and led them down the hall into a large circular room. The room had lots of plants, which seemed to be waving at them as they passed. There was a large fireplace, and the walls were painted a muted shade of yellow with black accents. Over the fireplace was a painting of Helga Hufflepuff who appeared to be toasting the new students with her cup.

"Girls are up the stairs and to the right, boys up the stairs and to your left," the girl prefect instructed. Charlie wandered slowly up the stairs and looked at the plates on the doors listing who was to stay in the room. She found hers finally, at the very end of the hall. She opened the door and was relieved to see Anna there. Two other girls as well were there, one with blonde hair and one with red.

The room itself was cozy. It had four four-poster beds with patchwork quilts. Copper lanterns hung from the ceiling, and what appeared to be copper bed warmers hung on an opposite wall. The beds had curtains for privacy, yellow with black badgers, and a dresser made out of well worn wood sat by each bed. The walls were yellow with more black badger detailing, and a bathroom sat off to the right. Each girl got her own little corner to herself.

The girl with the blonde hair spoke first. "Hi, I'm Rose,"She said shyly. The girl with the red hair smiled. "I'm Alexis," She said. Anna introduced herself, then finally Charlie. They quieted for a moment, looking for the trunk that held their stuff. Charlie found hers in the farthest corner. There was a note on her trunk saying that her owl had been brought to the Owlery. She put away her clothes in the dresser and took out a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt. She asked "Does anyone mind if i quick change in the bathroom?" No one minded so she snuck in and changed. She went back to her stuff, grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste, then ran back to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She quickly braided her hair and tied it, then climbed into her comfy bed.

She already liked this bed, it had no lumps or bumps and smelled like clean sheets. She and the other girls talked for a bit after everyone had settles in and changed, and they learned a bit about each other. Rose was a pureblood but she was brought up to think that all was nonsense about blood purity. Anna was a half-blood like Charlie, only her dad was a wizard. Alexis was a muggleborn, and almost didn't show up for the train because she and her family thought it was a prank. But the nice man named Hagrid had been sent to explain the truth and take her shopping.

After a few more minutes of sleep, they all said goodnight, turned their lamps off, and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Charlie sat up and stretched, eager for her first day at school. She was the first one awake, so she grabbed her soap and shampoo and other shower things, and a new change of clothes, then went into the bathroom to shower. Her watch still worked luckily, the time reading 6:30. Ew, she thought. Early but at least it means I can have a nice shower. She locked the door and turned on the shower, making sure it was nice and undressed, grabbed her soap and proceeded to shower.

She climbed out, redressed, and went back out into the other room. The other girls were still asleep, so she grabbed her brush, toothbrush, and hair dryer after she put her other things away. She went back into the bathroom, dryed her snowy hair, and put in into a side part. She brushed her teeth, and went into the main room as the other girls were waking up and stretching.

"Good morning!" Charlie said cheerily. Alexis and Rose groaned, Anna smiled and waved sleepily. Charlie glanced at her watch, it was 7:15. Classes start at 8. "Anyone want to head down to breakfast?" Charlie asked. Anna sighed. "Just let me get dressed," She said. "I can shower tonight." Alexis and Rose shook their heads. "I want to wake up a little more, then shower," Alexis said. Rose said "Nah, I'm too nervous to eat. I'll keep Alexis company."

"Suit yourself," Charlie said. She and Anna (who had changed miraculously fast) headed into the common room and crawled through the passageway. They popped out of the barrels and meandered the way they thought was the Great Hall. They got a little lost but after shyly asking for directions, they got there in time to grab a few pieces of toast and some cheesy eggs.

Charlie was inhaling her eggs. "I love cheesy eggs," She moaned happily. Anna was watching with horrified fascination. "How does someone eat so fast?" She asked to herself. Charlie glared and kept eating. She glanced over to the Gryffindor table, and looked for the boys. She didn't need to look very long though, she heard the loud boisterous laughter. She followed the sound and saw the two boys with messy hair, the boy with his nose in a book, and the fat kid eating as fast as she was. Finally she finished and sat back and looked at Anna.

Anna had finished as well, having taken less than Charlie. She glanced at her watch, just as the schedules were being passed down the table. Charlie glanced at hers, and saw it read this:

8:00-8:40 Charms

8:45-9:25 Transfiguration

9:30-10:10 Potions

10:10-10:50 Potions

11:30-12:10 History of Magic

12:11-12:30 Lunch

12:35- :15 Herbology

1:20-2:00 Defense Against The Dark Arts

2:05-2:45 Flying Lessons

11:00-11:45 Astronomy

Charlie grinned. It didn't look too bad. Except for the Astronomy. Did they mean at night or was this a misprint? She supposed it meant at night considering that was when the stars were out. No sense looking at the sun. "Let's go get our stuff, classes start soon," Anna said. They linked arms and went back to the barrels. "You do it," Said Anna nervously. "No you do it," Charlie responded quickly. "I don't want to," Anna whined. Charlie stepped forward and gingerly knocked on the barrel. It opened the passage and she sighed in relief. They both speed walked up to the dormitory, grabbed their books, and walked back to the hall. They climbed out of the barrel and asked a Ravenclaw for directions. They then set out towards the Charms room, as they both had Charms together. They also had Transfiguration, Potions, History of Magic, and Herbology together. That worked for them.

They arrived just in time at the classroom. The bell rang as soon as the bell rang. They both picked a seat next to each other, towards the back of the room. Sirius, James, and Peter all filed in late of course. Remus had chosen to sit next to Charlie and they were chatting quietly. Suddenly a medium height man with graying hair and watery green eyes walked in.

"I am Professor Hayes, and I will be your Charms professor this year," He said looking around the room. "Now tomorrow we will learn your first spell. Today, we learn the rules." There was a collective groan from the students, Charlie among them. She had been pretty excited to learn.

This was pretty much how her morning went, lunch passed without incident, and she even caught some z's in History Of magic. Defense Against The Dark Arts was cooler, they got to see a hinkypunk used for teaching the other students. It was a little thing that hopped on two legs. But what Charlie was really looking forward to was flying lessons. She didn't think there would be many rules to learn there.

Soon she arrived on the Quidditch pitch, ready for her lesson. They shared lessons with the Gryffindors, so she was standing in between Sirius and Remus. Remus was listening quietly to Sirius and Charlie talk.

"The Wigtown Wanderers are the best team!" Charlie said excitedly. "No, the Caerphilly Catapults are the best team!" Sirius said back, just as animated. "No, they lost to the Wanderers last year," Charlie argued. "Only because MacDounaugh cheated!" Sirius scoffed.

"Alright everyone hush up," The professor said. "MacDounaugh did not cheat," Charlie whispered. "Oh yes he did," Sirius hissed. "I am Professor Hirsch, and I will be teaching you how to fly. Also, should any of you make it on to your house's Quidditch team, I will referee."

"The Catapults suck," Charlie murmured. "And I know that Chase cheated as well," She added. "That's it!" Sirius hollered, and play pushed her. Charlie laughed and shoved him back. "Stop it the both of you!" The professor shouted. They hung their heads. "Sorry professor," They said in unison. "Five points from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor," Professor Hirsch said. The Hufflepuff's gave Charlie a look, while the Gryffindors just glared at Sirius.

"Now, I want you to get on your brooms, hold on tight. Then kick off, hover for a minute, then touch back down." The professor instructed. They all did as they were told. Charlie climbed on her broom, and kicked off. She hovered for a moment, reveling in the feel of air around her, and wavered slightly. She lowered her broom but lost her balance and tumbled on to the ground. "Oh!" She said startled.

Sirius touched back down and helped Charlie stand up, laughing all the while. "You should have seen your face!" He said, still laughing. Charlie scowled. "It wasn't that bad," She said, dusting herself off.

Later at dinner, when Charlie eased herself on to the bench and winced as her bruised sides bumped the table. She helped herself to some turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy and some corn. She was tired and only exchanged a few words with Anna. She had a piece of pumpkin pie and told Anna she was heading off to bed. She walked out of the Great Hall and down the hall. Suddenly she heard, "Hey Reeley wait up!" She turned around and saw Sirius running towards her. "How are you?" He asked. "Because of the fall," He added. "Oh I'm fine, Just a little banged up," She said. "Let me walk you to your common room," He said. "Wouldn't want you to fall down the stairs and die!" He joked. Charlie laughed, then winced as her sides protested.

Sirius lightly touched her sides, making her laugh more, then wince. "Don't," She said, "I'm very ticklish and laughing hurts right now." He didn't listen, then gently ran his hand up her sides. She turned and gave him a look. "I said don't." He backed away. "Sorry, can I still walk you to your common room?" She gave him an appraising look. "I guess." They walked quietly through the halls. Eventually they reached the barrels and Charlie said, "Alright here we are. Thanks for walking me, I appreciate it." He looked at her incredulously. "Where's your portrait? With the password?" He asked. She shook her head. "There isn't one," She said. "There isn't one? Then how do you get in?" He asked. "You tap one of the barrels in a specific pattern, then it lets you in," She explained. "Now shoo. I don't think they'd appreciate it if I gave you the way in." He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Have a good night Reeley," He said, turning around. "You too Black," Charlie said as she watched Sirius retreat. When he was out of sight, she knocked on the barrel and entered the passageway.


End file.
